‘The Last of Us’ Spores Explained: How Airborne Infection Works
The Last of Us’ latest episode introduced a shocking plot twist that fans of the original video game have been familiar with all along. Here’s what we know about the mysterious spores and how the revelation about them might become another point of no return in the entire show.
The Last of Us’ TV adaptation has so far gone through enough backlash about its major differences from the game, though now it seems like one similar problem has just been fixed.
The ongoing second season’s episode 5 provided a shocking update on the Cordyceps infection, revealing that it’s not only the bites that doom you forever in The Last of Us’ universe, but also the airborne spores that Ellie and Nora discover in the Seattle hospital’s basement.
However, there’s already an explanation of how it all works coming from one of the show’s cast members.
What Are Airborne Spores and Why Are They Introduced So Late in the HBO Show?
Airborne spores are some kind of seeds of the Cordyceps fungus which, while being inhaled or ingested by any other means, will grow inside the body and give it the fungal infection.
Before the sophomore season’s episode 5 aired last Sunday, the series had been exploring only one way of getting infected, which is via a bite.
The video game, however, makes things about it pretty clear since the very beginning, also explaining why people out there have to wear masks literally around the clock just because of airborne spores.
“In the game, there are these where you encounter spores and you need to put a gas mask on. In the world that we’re creating, if we put spores in the air, it would be pretty clear that they would spread around everywhere and everybody would have to wear a mask all the time and probably everybody would be completely infected by that point. So, we challenged ourselves to come up with an interesting new way for the fungus to spread but mostly I think we just connected with the soul and spirit of the game”, The Last of Us’ co-creator Craig Mazin explained in an interview with ComicBook back in 2023.
How Exactly Airborne Spores’ Infection Works, Explained by Tati Gabrielle
Tati Gabrielle, who portrays Nora in the show’s season 2, had her character getting infected by the airborne spores in the Seattle hospital’s basement in episode 5, which made her reflect on what’s actually going on to Nora once she inhales the seeds.
“Her nervous system is being taken over by this thing. Her lungs are being filled with a substance that our lungs are not normally filled with. It’s not suffocation. That was something that Craig said. She can breathe, technically, but it’s just not as easy. There’s more tension in your body. The little twitches are because it’s a thing of the brain: she’s trying to fight through to maintain her mind enough to get out what she has to say to Ellie. You’re going insane against your own will, and rather rapidly”, Gabrielle revealed in a recent interview with Variety.
When Is ‘The Last of Us’ Next Episode Coming?
The Last of Us season 2 episodes 6 and 7 will air on Max on May 18 and May 25 respectively.
